Nonleak accordion pad



Jan. 3, 1933. D. STOECKER I 1,893,453

NONLEAK ACCORDION PAD Filed Jan. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NW Q Qw- M flea/aid Sfoeofi er INVENTOR WITNESS: ATTORNEY Jan. 3, 1933. a. sToEcKaF-e 17491939453 NONLEAK ACCORDION PAD Filed Jan. 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 00 OOJ\@ Patented Jan. 3, 1933 PATENT OFFICE DEWALD STOEGKER, OF .ABERDEENQ'SOUTH DAKOTA NONLEAK ACCORDION- PAD Application filed January 18, 1932. Serial No. 587,414.

My present invention relates to musical instruments having rows of reeds for the production of musical notes and more particularly to accordions. The primary object of the invention is to provide accordions or other musical instruments of that class with simple means that will render the instrument proof against air leaks.

I To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a horizontal section through a suflicient portion of an accordion to illustrate the application of my improvement.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view ap proximately on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of a pad that renders the instrument leak-proof. Before proceeding with a detailed description of the improvement it is believed necessary to state that there is arranged between the reed blocks in both the treble and bass sides of an accordion or like instrument a pad which comprises a thin layer of felt, the

same having openings therethrough corresponding to the wind cells in the reed blocks.

As the instrument is subjected to vibration this pad, which is eXpansible only a slight degree, becomes hardened or does not expand sufliciently to aiford a tight contact between the reed blocks and the metal or wooden plate with which the reed blocks abut, which affords air spaces or passages between the reed blocks and the said metal or wooden plate of the instrument, with the result that there is a leakage of air which prevents the proper playing of the instrument so that the instrument must be repaired before the same can again be raised. This air leakage is a frequent occurrence, especially in accordion instruments and, as previously stated, it is the object of this invention to prevent such leakage. This I accomplish in a very simple but thoroughly efficient manner.

Only one side of the accordion is illustrated by the drawings and the type of instrument illustrated has its main body part 1 provided with a piano keyboard, having white keys 2 and black keys 3. These keys are suitably pivoted and have their inner ends passing through the front reticulated and fabric lined plate 4 of the instrument. "The keys are connected by rods 5 to valves 6, the said valves normally closing the upper'a'ndlower' series of air holes 7 in a metal plate or'board 8 that is'arranged in the instrument andconnected to the sides, top and bottom thereof. Normally the inner face of the plate Sis covered by a thin layer Of"felt'l(l3jVl I1g hQl(-}S? therethrough corresponding withtheholes 7 It is against this thin layer of felt that the reed blocks 9 abut, the wind cells for the reeds in the blocks being disposed opposite the respective holes 7' and the holds in the felt plate. Obviously to produce desired tones the shapes of the holes vary.

One of the inner sides of the instrument base is provided with a cleat 10, the opposite side being provided with blocks 11 and one of the ends of each of the reed blocks is projected, as at 12, and is designed to beinserted between the side and the cleat'for holding the reed blocks against the pad while the blocks have screwed the-rein angle bolts 13 whose outer ends contact with the reed blocks for holding the same in proper contact with the pad.

In the ordinary construction'of accordions or like'instruments, means other than those just described may be employed for holding the reed blocks against thefelt pad but it will be obvious that because of the vibration to which the reed blocks'are subjected in the playing of the instrument an effective air-' tight joint between the said blocks and the felt pad on the plate 8 cannot be maintained. From practice I have found that it is absolutely necessary that in order to prevent air leakage in this type of instrument that a pad which embodies elasticity so that the same will yield or expand to afford an airtight joint between the plate 8 and the reed blocks 9 must be produced and such pad may be em ployed in conjunction with'the regular thin feltpad or independent thereof. Such pad I provide and the-same is indicated in the drawings by the numeral '14. The pad may be adhesively connected to the inner 'face'of the plate-8, and the said pad is thick in com-' parison to the felt pad which is usually emblocks and having their outer angle ends nor ployed. The pad is provided with holes 15 mally contacting with the reed blocks for that correspond in number with the air holes holding the reed blocks in position and in i in the plate 8 and likewise with the air cells tight engagement with the pad.

in the several reed chambers. The pad 14: is In testimony whereof I affix'my signature. 70

of soft material as well as embodying a com- DEWALD STOECKER. pa-rativ'ely large amount of elasticity. An accordion or like musical instrument employing reeds, by the employment of a simple I and cheaply constructed pad as above described is 'r'enderedpositively air leak: root, regardless of the vibration to which t e instrument is subjected and it is thought that ,v when the foregoing description has been read I in connection with the accompanying drawings the simplicity of my improved accordion construction and the advantages derived by the employment of my pad will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the I art to which the invention relates so that fur I 85 ther detailed description will not be required. It may be necessary to state that the keys are operated in the usual manner and that the bellows is attached to the reed and open end 7 of the section 1 of the accordion and, of 9;

course, the second section of the accordion is i also attached to the bellows.

Any accordion or like instrument having reed blocks that are not constructed of very Y hardest wood or layers of wood or panel work r are susceptible to warping in difierent directions, mostly away from the plate 8. This plate 8, it not built of the hardest material will warp away from the reed block 9 to asv sume a wavy shape. This is not absolutel a true in an instrument that is provided wit a metal or'aluminum plate 8, but the reed block 9 is susceptible to warping or yielding trom'such plate, and by the employment of r 40' the rubber sponge or elastic pad 14;, which is i 5 set between these two bodies and is compressed in a manner as above described the spaces left by warping will be taken up by the pad, so that the instrument is rendered air tight. With old instruments that are rendered defective for these reasons the employment of my pad will restore such instruments by rendering the same airtight so that old instruments provided with the improve- 7 ment are restored to their original construcv tion.

Having described the invention, I claim: An accordion or like instrument having reed blocks, a plate in the instrument having 55 holes therethrough disposed opposite the air cells in the reed blocks, valves for closing the holes and keys for operating the valves, a comparatively thick soft compressible and elastic pad between the plate and the reed blocks and having openings alining with the openings in the plate, said reed blocks havmg one of their inner ends extended, a cleat on one side of the instrument to be contacted by said extension, blocks on the opposite sides of the extension, angle bolts screwed in said i I 

